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Twenty years ago I sat in the study of First United Methodist Church, Millington, Tennessee, where I was pastor. A fantasy played in my head-again. It was of me standing before the Lord some day and having him ask me what I had done with my life. After I had yammered on a bit he asked me, “What about that one thing I asked all of my disciples to do just before I left the earth?” “Oh, you mean that go and make disciples thing? We never got around to it. We spent all of our time taking care of those who were already safely home.” Wow! That is not a good fantasy. It’s not that I think that will exclude me from life in the Kingdom come. It’s just that I don’t want to have spent my whole life here and stand before my Daddy with only disappointment to show for it. This time around with the fantasy I felt God yawn and say, “Is just feeling bad about that all you are going to do? When are you going to stop wallowing in that sorry mess and do something about it?”

I said, “Ok, Lord, what next for me?” And the Lord answered with a vision about a wild and crazy church that would be focused on reaching the unreached-that would bend it’s every speck of time, erg of energy, spark of creativity and penny of resources on helping those who don’t know Jesus find their way home safely to him and his tribe. Out of that vision Heartsong Church was born.

Just before we launched our first public service I knew the stakes were high. The scope of what we were hearing that the Lord wanted us to do was God sized. We felt afraid and called at the same time. We understood that to do what the Lord wanted us to do would take a band of committed fired up Jesus followers. Mere attenders and spectators would not do.

As the launch approached I had a chilling thought invade my mind. It said, “You are a fool! This thing you “see” will never happen. It will fall flat on it’s face, and you will be a laughingstock. You cannot do this.” I recognized the voice as that of the evil one.

I knew he was right about me. But after some struggle I decided to trust that he was wrong about God. And all I have to say to that now is: Happy 15th anniversary Heartsong! You, by God, have proven the devil wrong!

And now that we have laid out Seeing 2020-what we have heard from the Lord about what’s next for us as Heartsong, I’m feeling exactly the same as I did before our launch fifteen years ago. Jesus in motion, deeper influence, wider presence? The scope of what the Lord is calling us to is definitely God sized. I’m sensing that the tribe is feeling both afraid and a definite call from the Lord to pursue what we are seeing. And there is no doubt that if we are to accomplish what we are being called by God to do, it will not possibly happen without a strong tribe of committee fired up disciples.

And this time the devil isn’t even wasting his breath on me. How about you?